Prompt: "I thought I lost you" for Henry V and Catherine?
Thanks so much for sending me a prompt, @skeleton-richard!!!! It kinda made my morning. This happened faster than I thought it would. Fair warning, there’s a reason my friends call me the angst queen, though you must not mind that, considering the prompt. :D (Also, I don’t know French, so I have no idea if any of these terms of endearment are written right, so there’s that)
He wokewith a start, his lungs gasping for air. He reached for her, but the bed was empty. He blinked, looking at the empty spot, hisheart wrenching at the thought. “Kate?” he whispered, his eyes burningwith un-shed tears.
He heardbarefoot padding from the water closet, and there she stood, naked in all herglory, her hair loose and beautiful. Hecould have sobbed with relief.
She wasback in bed quickly, cupping his face in her soft hands. “‘Enry,” she asked, her French accent asthick as the day they met, slurred slightly with sleep. “Henry, what is wrong?”
He couldstill feel his heart beating out of his chest, so he nuzzled his face in thecrook of her neck, his eyes screwed shut.
She keptone hand on his bare back, the other tangled itself in his hair, cradling theback of his head. “Henry, what hashappened?”
“Ithought I lost you,” he croaked, holding her tighter.
She gavea sigh. “I have gone nowhere, mon cher. I am right here.”
Shepressed his ear to her chest. He let outa sigh and tried to catch his breath, focusing on the constant rhythm of herheartbeat.
“Breathe,my love,” she whispered into his hair.
Thatrhythm lulled him back into a sense of calm, and he gently pulled away, kissingher cheek before sitting back. “Thankyou, Kate,” he said, quietly.
Shebrushed hair out of his face, gently. “Ah,ma vie,” she sighed, “I am always here. I will go nowhere without you.”
He tooka deep breath, then looked her over. “What were you doing awake? Areyou well, Kate?”
She shifteduncomfortably, but nodded. “I believe Isimply ate something that did not agree with me, that is all.”
Hedidn’t look entirely convinced, but he nodded.
Shegently pushed him down back onto the mattress and laid on top of him, her headon his chest. He clasped his hands atthe small of her back and kissed the top of her head. “I do love nothing more than you, Kate.”
Shesmiled against his chest, planting a small kiss on his pec. “And I do love nothing more than you, Henry.”
He fellasleep quickly after that, savoring the weight and warmth of his beautiful,loving bride.
To sayshe was worried was an understatement. She hadn’t had a letter from him in nearly three weeks, which wasunheard of for him. The longest they’dgone was a week while he was traveling, and he warned her his letters might notcome and how long to expect their absence. When his letters did come, they came in a stack all bound together andsealed with his signet.
Humphreyput a hand on her shoulder. “I’m surehe’s fine, your highness. Worrying isn’tgood for you.”
When shewas alone, the seamstress came with her new dresses. Now that she was showing, she couldn’t wearher old ones. With help from one of herladies, she slipped into one of the dresses, then she stared out their bedroomwindow which had become her hourly past time. She was tired of it, honestly. Then, she had an idea. Humphreywas the one left in charge, so she wasn’t needed. And she’d like to see Humphrey try to stop asovereign queen from doing as she pleased. Especially if he didn’t know what she was planning.
Humphreydid find out, but he liked her and found it hard to tell her no. Kate had also always been good at gettingwhat she wanted, so it was no real surprise when he caved. The passage across the channel was horrible,but she didn’t care. She had to see him.
Shenearly smiled as the men at camp parted like the red sea before her, but thatwould have ruined the effect. John cameup to her, walking in step next to her. “Your highness, what are you doing here?” he demanded.
“I’mhere to see my husband, your Grace,” she answered.
He stoppedher and stepped in front of her. “Youcan’t.”
Herheart stopped. She’d been terrified atwhat she would find, coming here. Shedidn’t know if she could handle seeing a corpse.
John didn’tnotice the pain and horror on her face. “You can’t see him. You can’t be here.”
Sheforced herself to breathe. “I will see him, John. You can’t stop me.”
Shestepped around him and want straight for the King’s tent. John kept yelling at her, but she could nothear him. She was trying to prepareherself for what she believed was inevitable. Hot tears tracked down her cheeks as she pushed aside the tent flap.
He laythere pale as the full moon and she rushed to his side. She could see no sign of life in him throughher tears, and she began sobbing as she took his hand and pulled her rosaryfrom her pocket, running the beads through her fingers as she tried to recitethe prayers.
She didnot see his eyes blink and she assumed his hand giving a weak squeeze was hermind playing tricks on her. His voicethough… she would have to have gone truly mad if her mind had conjured hisvoice to her ears.
“Katherine?”his voice asked weakly.
Shelooked up at him then threw her arms around his neck. “Henry, oh, Henry!” she cried.
Hissmile was as weak as his arms wrapped around her, but he did as best he couldmanage. He buried his nose in her hair,taking a deep breath. She smelt like home, which made his heartache. “I did not think I’d see you again,” headmitted quietly.
“Ithought I had lost you,” she wept into his chest.
Not yet, he thought as he ran hisfingers through her hair. “You have notlost me, my love, my dearest Kate,” he said.
Shelooked up at him, her eyes bright red from crying. “What has happened to you? Were you wounded?”
Hewinced as he tried to sit up some. Shequickly found more pillows and helped put them under his head and shoulders toprop him up more. “I was wounded, butthat’s not why I’m here.” She lookedconfused and concerned, but he couldn’t help that at the moment. He tried to sit up, but she pressed her handon his chest. “No, I— I have to…”
Somethingin his tone had her pulling him into a sitting position and he twisted, tossinghis legs over the edge of the bed, leaning forward, his elbows on hisknees. He tried to breathe through thenausea, but his jaw locked up and his stomach betrayed him. He hadn’t eaten solid food in days, so therewasn’t much to throw up, but his stomach didn’t care about that. She rubbed between his shoulders and wasconcerned how sharp his bones were beneath her hand. His dry heaves slowed and he hung his head,barely able to hold his head up.
“Are youdone, ma vie?” she asked.
Henodded and she helped him lie down again. She felt his forehead and grabbed a cloth from his bedside that wassitting in a bowl of water. She moppedhis brow with it and he sunk into the mattress. She froze a moment, then grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach. He looked confused for a moment, then hiseyes grew larger as he felt their child kick. “You didn’t write me you were with child,” he said. “
I needyou, Henry. We need you,” she said, tears in her eyes again. “You cannot leave us, now.”
He hadpromised her once she would be happy. They would be happy. He should have listened to her. He should never have returned to France—
It wastoo late for that, now. He took herother hand and kissed her palm. “I haveno intentions of doing so, best of Katherines, best of wives, greatest ofqueens.”
Katherinelay down next to him, tucking herself under his arm, lying her head on hischest, curling next to him. He kept onehand on her stomach and kissed her head.
“I dolove you more than all the world,” he said, his strength leaving him, his eyesheavy.
“As doI, my love,” she answered, listening to his noble heart beat under her ear,assuring herself that he was still there with her.
For herand their child, he would fight harder, but he was so tired… sleep would surelyhelp him get his strength back.
Johnleaned his head against a tree, trying to keep his tears back when he heard herscream and cry out his name. There wasno mistaking the sound of such grief or what would drag such a sound from sucha woman as Katherine. Another brother,dead. There was a time when he didn’tthink he’d miss his eldest brother. Where he’d have been more than glad to see his irresponsible ass—no. Even then, he never wanted his brotherdead. Just not somewhere he could causetrouble. But now— now he couldn’timagine court or battle without him. Hisstupid smile, his ridiculous laugh. Hewatched his tears land at the base of the tree, dampening French soil. Burgundy had once said France was the “bestgarden of the world.” To Hell with that,he just wanted his brothers back.
She calledout into the woods behind the palace. “Henry! Henry, where areyou?” She was surprised she could sayanything with her heart in her throat.
“Mother?”she heard a voice say behind her.
She spunaround to find her own eyes staring up at her quizzically. “Oh, Henry,” she said as she wrapped him inher arms.
“Mother,why were you yelling like that?” he asked.
Sheswallowed around the knot in her throat. “I thought I lost you.”
